


The Terror Behind My Eyes

by katwithak32



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Family, Happy Ending, Love, Night Terrors, Nightmare, PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:13:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25325203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katwithak32/pseuds/katwithak32
Summary: Zuko has a night terror and gets temporary amnesia afterwards.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 49





	The Terror Behind My Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this on my phone after being inspired by a fanfic called “What If” by Zutarart on Deviantart. So I apologize if there are typos or mistakes!

He heard her intention before he saw it, and too late to react. Azula’s High pitched cackling was unmistakable, and the way she ever so slightly leaned to her left, even Azula is predictable. Her smirk got a little bigger as she cast her left arm out, pointer and middle finger pulling raw energy from the atmosphere, sending a white hot, electric bolt of lightning straight toward Katara. His best friend. 

And in the moment he realized, she wasn’t only his best friend. She was his reason for living, she was the love of his life, the only person he truly wanted. 

He leapt toward the bolt, intending on giving his life for the amazing girl standing behind him, but he wasn’t quick enough. Azulas lightning struck true and right through Kataras heart. 

“NOOOOOO!!!” Zuko heard someone yelling but he thought they were alone in their fight. It wasn’t until he felt the raw pain in his throat that he realized, it was him that was screaming for her. He turned and tried to run to get to her, he didn’t care about the Azul, or the war, or the world. I’m the matter of seconds, he had made sense of himself, only to have the most important part torn away. But Azula wouldn’t stop. 

Azula continued her assault by sending a raging plume of blue fire toward him, but it didn’t have the power that it typically did. If Azula has been off before, then now she was totally knocked over. With tears already running down his face, Zuko charged. He through fire fists and whips so fast that Azula barely had time to react. He landed one blow after another after another and finally had his sister cornered. 

He starred down at his pathetic, evil hearted little sister, and any shred of empathy or sympathy faded. She killed Katara, and that act was absolutely unforgivable. And so he ended her. 

When Azula was finally dead, Zuko stood there for several minutes. Trying his best to figure out how to move. He was raw and broken. Hot tears ran down both of his checks and he could barely see anything through his good eye. A hard sob tore itself from his body, and he was able to turn from his sisters lifeless body to face the lifeless body of the girl he had grown to love. 

Fire and water, good and evil, yin and yang, Zuko and Katara. They were all the same concept, darkness finds it's best self in the light, and light burns brightest in the dark. Zuko lost his light that day. 

When he finally managed to get to Kataras body, he shivered, and then collapsed to his knees next to her. 

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry Katara.” His voice shook as he tried to apologize to her lifeless form. “I should have been better, and quicker, for you. I’m sorry. I, I love you Katara. Please forgive me:” His sobs got stronger and he could no longer speak. He wrapped his arms around her and hurried his face in her neck, inhaling her scent as he shook. His tears wet her neck and her hair, but he wasn’t sure if it was really his tears, or the skies. The world was heartbroken over the loss of her. 

His gut clenched again and another round of loud, hard, heart shattering sobs broke through from his lips. His whole body shook so hard that he nearly fell over. He stayed there crying for what felt like eternity, allowing the sobs to slow and then restart, and get harder and faster. It wasn’t until he was interrupted by a soft hand on the back of his head and a loving arm wrapped around his waist for him to stop and lean up. 

“Zuko? Honey why are you crying?” Katara whispered, eyes unfocused and tired. Zuko leaned back to take in the whole picture before him. He wasn’t on the wet stone of the courtyard with two of the most important women in his life dead at his feet. He wasn’t burned and hurting and cold. He was in a bed, a large bed, covered in maroon silks so soft you almost couldn’t feel them. He was warm and dry and the best part, was that Katara was laying before him whole, and alive. 

“I, I don’t understand.” He shook his head, and tried to back away, but she wouldn’t let him. She wrapped her arms securely around him and smiled reassuringly. 

“Zuko, honey you had another night terror. I need you to breath. Look me in the eye and breath. Remember me, and us, and our life, our children our nation. I love you Zuko.” He gentle, sweet voice and loving embrace was enough for him to trust her, but he was still confused. “Just breath, my love just breath.” She ran her fingers through his hair and leaned up to kiss his forehead. This wasn’t the first time that Zuko had night terrors, but it seems like this one is the worst, as he still wasn’t coming around. 

His brain was going a million miles a minute, but he tried his best to focus on those beautiful blue orbs staring back at him. He relaxed a bit and squeezed her harder. 

“Come here, my love.” Katara whispered and pulled his head to her chest. He was still shaking but it was less. His tears were still flowing but they were slowly drying up. And as he was lying there, relaxing everything slowly came back to him. 

The real events of the Agni Kai, and the war ending. The scar on his chest, and the memory of her strong, soft hands fixing him. His crowning and then his proposal. Their wedding, and running their nation together. Their children and their friends, and his wonderful amazing life. With Katara. 

“I, I remember now. I’m sorry that I did this again.”

“Sweet love, there’s nothing to apologize for. I love you my Fire Lord.” Katara ran her fingers through his hair again and kissed his lips gently. 

“I love you too.” He smiled and kissed her again. That’s when the door to their room was thrown open and in game three beautiful children that were perfect mixtures of their parents. 

Zuko just say there, and soaked up the love that he was getting from his family, his eyes were still puffy and his heart was still full of emotion. This wouldn’t be his first or his last night terror. But he knew that no matter what he went through, he had this. His family, and his Katara.


End file.
